Five Odias figure in Padma awards list

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Five Odia persons have been selected for this year’s prestigious Padma Shri awards, the list of which was announced on Thursday.

Prabhakar Maharana has been selected for Art-Sculpture while Gobardhan Panika will receive the honour for Art-Weaving and Chandrasekhar Rath for Literature and Education. Noted freedom fighter Bhabani Charan Patnaik has been chosen to receive the award for Public Affairs.

Similarly, Odisha born filmmaker Sisir Purushottam Mishra now based in Maharastra is also among the five to get the coveted award.

Prabhakar Maharana has dedicated the award to 1200 sculptors who had built the Sun Temple in Konark. “We are the successors of these great sculptors. So, this award is meant for them only. I have never thought of such honour. I am feeling very blessed today,” Maharana told OTV.

Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in India after Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan.

The list of Padma Awards for 2018 was announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday. Senior Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh ideologue P Parameswaran, cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's first Paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar, plastic road maker Rajagopalan Vasudevan, a housemaid who built a hospital for the poor Subhasini Mistry and midwife Sulagatti Narasamma are some eminent personalities who have figured in the Padma awards list.